Universal Sole, the Chicago running store with locations in Lakeview and Lakeshore East, wanted to see if it can make a shoe fly at Red Bull Flugtag, an event that landed in Chicago for the third time on September 21. This year's Flugtag was special though because it's the first ever National Red Bull Flugtag with events happening in the Windy City as well as Washington, D.C., Long Beach, Miami, and Dallas/Ft. Worth. In Chicago, the event was held at Burnham Harbor.

OK, so Universal Sole's entry is not a real shoe, but their flying vehicle looks like the Mizuno Wave Sayonara, a shoe released earlier this summer to replace the Wave Elixir. With a five-person crew piloted by Universal Sole's owner Joel Feinberg (one crew member is F^3's race director Kimberly Stedman), the shoe was pushed off the Flugtag platform, had some air time and then tumbled into Lake Michigan.

But that's the fun of Red Bull's Flugtag event: seeing if team-powered structures can fly off a 30-foot ramp. It's fun--and funny--to watch as teams unveil their machines, gear up for their launches and then drop into the waters below. you can make a structure and The difference? The flying shoe has black wings jutting from the sides y've fashioned their flying vehicle to look like the new Mizuno Wave Sayonara. Add some wings

To see a picture of Universal Sole's Flugtag entry and to watch it fly, check out their Flugtag page.

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Kate Bongiovanni is a freelance writer and editor who was formerly the managing editor at Windy City Sports magazine. She likes to stay active and has been swimming and skiing for more years than she can remember. She still swims and skis but now runs any distance through marathons and races triathlon, having completed Ironman Wisconsin in 2008. You can reach her via email.